Early Childhood Nutrition for Pacific

1. Early Childhood Nutrition for Pacific Presented by Jane Wyllie Public Health Dietitian, Early Childhood Team

2. Goals of session: you will know… • Understand your beliefs/behaviours around eating • How to encourage healthy eating behaviours in children • Why and how to celebrate birthdays without a food focus

3. Quiz just to get you thinking!

4. How many teaspoons of sugar in a 600 ml bottle of soft drink? • 8 • 10 • 16 • 18

5. 16 teaspoons of sugar 18 teaspoons sugar Both C and D are correct

6. How many regular biscuits are there in one large cookie?

7. Eight - Nine!

8. NZ Children 2-4 years

9. Why are amounts of food important? • FACT: 40% of Pacific children aged 4 years are normal weight • Eating habits learned & established in childhood

10. Why are amounts of food important? • Less active + larger food portions = weight gain • Results in health problems: diabetes, heart disease, cancer, depression (later in life)

11. Excess Weight Causes Many Health Problems

12. Food for the day for 3 year old girl

13. Emotional Eating • Comes on suddenly • Crave sugary or fatty foods • Leads to ‘mindless’ eating • May trigger feelings of guilt • Often results in overeating

14. Eating for Physical Hunger • Gradual onset • Often choose healthier food • Able to enjoy and savour the food • Giving your body what it needs • More likely to stop when full

15. Foods that Increase Stress • Sugar • Chocolate • Fatty foods • Caffeine • Alcohol

16. The Fonofale Model of Health

17. What parents say to their children • ‘When I say you eat, you eat!’ • ‘Try the beans, I made them the way you like them’

18. What parents say to their children • ‘If you eat 3 more bites of meat, you can have a popsicle’ • ‘No peas, no brownie’

19. What parents say to their children • ‘If you eat your salad, you can go to Andrew’s to play’

20. Children serving themselves

21. Rewarding with food Reinforces behaviours and brain pathways that connects food with feelings